Rich Diviney, a former leader in the SEAL teams, discusses the importance of attributes in performance and how they differ from skills. He shares his experience of identifying and assessing attributes during the selection process for Navy SEALs. He explains that attributes are inherent qualities that inform behavior and drive performance, while skills are learned and specific to certain circumstances. Rich emphasizes the need to train for certainty and educate for uncertainty, as uncertainty is a constant in life. He also highlights the importance of energy management and the ability to modulate energy levels based on the situation. We also dive into the mental acuity category, discussing attributes such as situation awareness, compartmentalization, task switching, learnability, and discernment. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and balancing these attributes for optimal performance.

Takeaways

• Attributes are inherent qualities that inform behavior and drive performance, while skills are learned and specific to certain circumstances.
• Training for certainty involves developing skills for specific environments, while educating for uncertainty involves developing attributes, gaining diverse perspectives, and building understanding.
• Energy management is crucial for optimal performance, as it allows individuals to modulate their energy levels based on the situation and avoid wasting energy.
• Getting comfortable with uncertainty and deliberately stepping outside of one’s comfort zone is essential for growth and success.
• Training and education should focus on developing attributes and experiencing uncertainty, rather than solely relying on skills and certainty.
• Developing habits of introspection and asking questions about one’s own performance is beneficial at any age
• Understanding and balancing attributes in the mental acuity category is crucial for optimal performance
• Building high-performing teams requires attributes that complement and support each other
• Dynamic subordination allows team members to step up and take the lead based on their attributes and the needs of the team
• Insouciance, or not caring what other people think, can be a powerful attribute, but extremes in any attribute can be detrimental.
• Low empathy can affect how we respond to others, especially in high-stress situations. It’s important to be aware of our empathy levels and make deliberate efforts to show empathy when needed.
• Physiology, including body position, attitude, and emotion, plays a significant role in performance. Emotions like joy, anger, and peace can impact our performance and should be managed effectively.
• Self-awareness and understanding our own attributes are crucial for personal and team development. The ability to delay gratification is a common attribute among successful individuals.

Chapters

00:00

Introduction and Background

02:07

Assessing Performance Based on Attributes

08:39

Attributes vs Skills

14:12

Creating Horizons and Duration Pathway Outcomes

25:01

Training for Certainty, Educating for Uncertainty

29:44

The Ideal Time to Explore Attributes

33:18

The Importance of Mental Acuity

37:46

Building High-Performing Teams with Complementary Attributes

43:31

Dynamic Subordination: Stepping Up Based on Attributes

53:37

Understanding the Top and Bottom Attributes

56:06

Navigating the Advantages and Disadvantages of Attributes

58:40

The Power of Insouciance and the Importance of Empathy

01:01:15

The Significance of Self-Awareness

01:16:28

The Common Attribute of Successful Individuals: Delayed Gratification

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